Episode 1463 (16 June 1997)
Synopsis Joe works at the Vic for the christening. Grant asks him if he's asked Lorraine and he says it's none of her business. Grant tells Joe to go to the cash and carry, and to take his time, then to stay out in the back and tidy up and not to go inside. Nigel is painting Dot's flat a horrible shade of greyish pink. He suddenly realises it's 4:30 and he has to go to the christening, and Dot whines so much that he has to invite her along too. He wears an outfit including a shirt precisely the same shade as the paint. In the Vic, Simon has a double because he's nervous about being godparent. He asks Phil where Bianca is, and Phil says she's at the church rehearsing her speech - all the god parents have to give one - didn't Peggy tell him? Phil says he has a speech prepared about Grant - and what about Simon? Simon panics and everyone continues to wind him up mercilessly as he waffles on about how he has to prepare for it and he'll dry up, and what will he say....blah blah. He eventually realises it's a wind-up, and Peggy tells him off for drinking because he will breathe alcohol fumes over the baby. The church service goes reasonably well, though Peggy is not at all pleased that Dot has gatecrashed, and Nellie also turns up for some unstated reason. The old folks moan on morbidly, Dot mentioning that she's not too optimistic about the baby, since her Nick was christened here, and look how he turned out. They return to the Vic, and Joe brings out the boxes of bubbly, and Lorraine discovers he's working. She is furious and tells Grant in no uncertain terms to hurry up and tell Joe he can't work there. However, Joe just begs so much Grant can't get a word in to tell him. Lorraine is furious and even more so when Tiffany asks her what she thinks she's doing, and why doesn't she leave now that she and Grant have split up, because she's just ruining it for them. Lorraine is annoyed and leaves in a huff. Annie comes in to borrow some glasses, and Pauline tells her she hopes it won't be a drugs den like the last place. Annie says it's for select clientele - local politicians. Pauline says ironically she supposes that will be much better then. Dot drinks a glass or two of champagne and gets inebriated. Bianca asks Tiffany why she's bothering with Grant, and Tiffany tells her he and Lorraine split up two weeks ago. Polly turns up to take Tony off to nose around the club. They photograph everyone going in, and sit around for hours chatting. Polly asks Tony how the christening went, and makes a comment about Tony and Simon out on the pull together. Tony says Simon is gay, so not really. Polly asks Tony what it's like to live with a gay bloke, and he asks if she is anti-gay. She says no, some of her best friends are gay, and he asks if she's ever been tempted. She says no, she likes men too much for that, and asks what about Tony? Tony says, "no, I'm straight as a die." After ascertaining that Polly hasn't had a boyfriend for 2 years, Tony asks her out, and she says she's not interested. One of the people going into the club is the councillor they saw George chatting to, Dixon, and they're surprised to see that with him is the owner of the Gazette. They realise why they've been warned off. Annie sends out some drinks for them, and Polly says they may as well give up now they've been sussed. Tony walks home and Grant has just walked out of the Vic in annoyance and shouts at him that he'd better hurry up and get his boiler fixed, and what's he doing about it? Tony replies simply that it was fixed a week ago, so Grant fumes and goes back to the Vic to confront Tiffany. Tony sees Simon coming out of the Vic and Simon says they will have to go home and have a proper talk - and they agree to get a take-away - Tony goes to the chip shop and Simon will get the drinks. As they part, Simon grabs Tony and kisses him. They are observed by the older Walford gang, who follow Tony. Joe is sitting outside the Vic and Bianca comes to talk to him. He says he's pleased to get his job at the Vic back, and Bianca says it won't be the same though, now that Grant and your Mum have split up. Joe is amazed and doesn't believe it. Bianca says it was two weeks ago, and she assumed he knew. Meanwhile, Grant finds Tiffany and asks her why she lied about the boiler. Tiffany denies all knowledge, and Grant says she's just lying to him, like she always does. Credits Main cast *Martine McCutheon as Tiffany *Ross Kemp as Grant *Jacqueline Leonard as Lorraine *Paul Nicholls as Joe *Barbara Windsor as Peggy *Steve McFadden as Phil *Gillian Taylforth as Kathy *Andrew Lynford as Simon *Mark Homer as Tony *Patsy Palmer as Bianca *Sid Owen as Ricky *Paul Bradley as Nigel *June Brown as Dot *Paul Moriarty as George *Nadia Sawalha as Annie *Victoria Gould as Polly *Daniela Denby-Ashe as Sarah *Pam St. Clement as Pat *Wendy Richard as Pauline *Todd Carty as Mark *Deepak Verma as Sanjay *Desune Coleman as Lenny *Richard Driscoll as Alex *Elizabeth Kelly as Nellie *Leonard Kirby as Shane *John Gillett as Councillor Dixon Category:Episode Category:1997 Episodes